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In the first hip defect verdict against Johnson & Johnson over its DePuy artificial hip, a jury has ordered the healthcare company to pay $8.3 million to Loren Kransky, an ex-prison guard. The 65-year-old claimed that he developed health issues, including metal poisoning, after he received his implant in 2007. Three years later, J & J recalled approximately 93,000 artificial ASR hip implants.

In his hip implant lawsuit, Kransky accused the manufacturer of failing to warn about the risks, design defect, and negligence. Meantime, lawyers for J & J contended that the plaintiff’s injuries were a result of pre-existing medical conditions and an unrelated infection rather than the ASR XL hip.

While all-metal hips comprised about 40% of all US hip replacement devices in 2008, they have become much less popular in the wake of growing worries that they aren’t as safe or effective as previously thought.

Hip Implant Failures
Getting a hip implant can be a rigorous experience-what with the surgery, recovery time, and learning how to walk with this new device. Pain, and debilitation can be part of this process, which can take up to a year, as patients try to get back full range of motion. In the event of hip implant failure, a patient must undergo all these stresses all over again, risking possible infection and other complications during yet another surgery. Even prior to the revision procedure, the actual failure of the implant can take its toll, causing severe pain, problems standing or walking, and hip swelling.

Johnson & Johnson recalled its ASR artificial hips because the devices were failing way too soon, placing patients’ health and well-being at risk, as well as causing them to incur additional medical costs and other related expenses.

Other manufacturers have also had to issue recalls over their defective all-metal hip implants. In Massachusetts, contact our Boston hip implant defect lawyers today.